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We’ve all been waiting for some official news to drop by way of a trailer or title reveal for some time now and today we have the official title for Rian Johnson’s upcoming middle chapter to the Sequel Trilogy: Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Johnson’s production shot under the title of Space Bear and the crew even sported some pretty rad caps adorned with the Space Bear and the Roman Numeral VIII on the back. (Hit me up if you have one to sell, because I NEED one :))

I have to say, the title certainly effective, my gears immediately got cranking over the implications of such a title. Is this in reference to Luke Skywalker being the last? Does this mean the Jedi are done and a new order will rise from the Jedi Order? Will Rey be the first of something new, or is she The Last Jedi? Something else to consider is that the title doesn’t necessarily have to be in reference to a single Jedi, as Jedi can also be used as a plural.

Aside from the actual title, we also have the official logo to consider. The logo has abandoned the usual yellow outline of Star Wars for a red one, which is quite foreboding when paired with the official title. We can expect that we’ll see the First Order rebounding from where we last saw them in The Force Awakens since The Last Jedi is our middle chapter in the sequel trilogy. Within a typical trilogy structure, the middle film leaves the protagonist in a dark place, setting up the resolution for the culminating film. The Empire Strikes Back saw Luke losing a hand, finding out Vader was his father and Han Solo frozen in carbonite and taken away by Boba Fett.

We’ll have to debate the implications of the title and logo until we know more. I can’t wait to see what Johnson has up his sleeve!

Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi will hit theaters December 15, 2017.

As many of you are aware, the conflict in Syria has become one of the worst humanitarian crisis’ of our time. With hundreds of thousands killed, and many left homeless with nowhere to go, children and families have become displaced and are desperately trying to find some peace in their lives again.

As temperatures in Syria reach desperately cold levels, refugees who have escaped the brutal conflict now face another struggle for survival. Clambering around fires thrown together in old barrels, children clasp to any warmth they can get, with only the clothes on their backs to help keep them warm, a truly heartbreaking image and one that is more real than we like to imagine.

Many celebrities have banded together with humanitarian organizations and charities to help raise money for workers on the ground to continue their selfless support of the thousands of displaced families. One celebrity, Riz Ahmed, who played the brave and courageous Bodhi Rook in Rogue One has been one of these celebrities supporting this humanitarian crisis. Today, Riz Ahmed announced another way fans of Star Wars and his can help; by donating a minimum of $10 to Crowdrise.com you would not only help in providing much needed medical aid, and food for refugees, you could also be in with a chance to win fantastic prizes. By donating $30, you will be entered into win a Rogue One poster signed by the cast!

It warms my heart to see people from all over the world come together to help those in the most unimaginable situations, Star Wars and pop culture has always been an incredible platform to do this from, and it’s amazing to see what Riz Ahmed is doing! So help us help those in need, and donate for a chance to win a signed Rogue One poster and other great prizes. Follow the link below to donate, and thank you so much for helping those in need!

If you’d like to help further, there are a number of incredible organizations that do amazing work every day to bring aid to displaced refugees, whose lives have been torn apart by the horrendous civil war in Syria. I’ve added a few links below, so if you would like to continue supporting, please do! And again, thank you!

They didn’t lie. Rogue One was certainly a Star Wars Story and a pretty damn good one at that. Equal parts thrilling, dark and hopeful.

The concept is brilliant, focusing an entire film on the theft of the plans to the Death Star which served as the impetus of A New Hope, the very first Star Wars film. It’s such an important detail, but one that most probably never gave a second thought to. Credit to John Knoll for spotting that seed and Gary Whitta for developing a story and creating a whole crew of characters that are new but feel quite right in the Star Wars universe.

First off, fans can breathe a sigh of relief. The widely reported reshoots do not impact the viewing experience. Rogue One is not a damaged, incoherent film in any way. Is it a perfect film? No. But that doesn’t mean that anything is broken. My complaints after one viewing are all fairly small.

From the get-go we know that this is not our typical Star Wars film. Sure, it begins with the usual “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” but missing is the subsequent text crawl that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in every other Star Wars film previously. This was an inspired decision, one that subconsciously disorients the viewer and puts them in a position they’ve never been in with a Star Wars film before. We have zero idea of where we’re being dropped in the Star Wars universe. We’re not entering with the big picture having just been spoon fed to us. Anything is possible. This is followed by a VERY Star Wars moment, a ship in outer space. But this familiar opening is subverted since we find ourselves in a flashback, a first in Star Wars cinematic history (Rey’s force vision in The Force Awakens is not a flashback). It’s like they’re kinda, sorta playing by the rules, but not. Until I was sitting there watching it unfold, I hadn’t realized how much I’d gotten used to the way a Star Wars film is presented. It was exciting to be in that universe and have things be just a little bit different and not knowing what to expect.

The plot of Rogue One focuses on Jyn Erso, played by Felicity Jones. Jyn is tough as nails as a result of what she’s seen and how she was raised. She is stoic, even when over her head but there’s a vulnerability that Jones brings to the character that adds an important dimension. But make no mistake, as much as the film hinges on Jyn’s story, this film is an ensemble piece and they’ve assembled a very deep bench of talented and diverse actors and actresses unseen thus far in any Star Wars film, which is great news. There is representation for nearly everyone in the film and it never feels gimmicky or forced.

Most intriguing among them is Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor. Andor is man of mystery, a character who operates in the gray area, doing bad things for a good cause. He is a means to an end and a character we haven’t seen the likes of before in any Star Wars film, a dark character in a world without much hope. Andor is another example of the way that Rogue One separates itself apart from past Star Wars films. A good guy has never been this bad before. In the other films the characters are either white hats or black hats. (This is where some will bring up Anakin. It’s very different because Anakin was never doing bad things for altrusitic reasons) That is not the case in Rogue One. People who had reservations about Han shooting first are likely to take umbrage with Andor and his actions early in the film. I’ve heard people refer to Cassian Andor as the Han Solo of Rogue One. He’s not. People have a tendency to put characters in a bucket with one of the others that have come before. It’s a mistake and a disservice to well written characters to do this. Han Solo is a fast talking, charming smuggler, which is the polar opposite of Andor, who is a (seemingly) cold and calculating soldier doing whatever it takes for the rebellion.

Also of note is Donnie Yen’s Chirrut Îmwe, stealing nearly every scene he’s in with his daredevil-like fighting prowess and zen-like optimism. Chirrut is the closest thing we have to a Jedi in Rogue One. I wouldn’t want to spoil his backstory but suffice to say this is with good reason. Also noteworthy is Ben Medelsohn as Orson Crennic who delivers a chilling performance, making me wish we’d gotten this same intensity from Domhnall Gleeson’s General Hux in The Force Awakens.

Star Wars fans have come to expect that we’ll have multiple films to explore new characters and that is Rogue One’s real problem. I wanted more time with characters like Cassian Andor, Jyn Erso, Saw Gerrera and Chirrut Îmwe. I wanted to see these characters journey prior to Rogue One. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the plot of Rogue One is utilitarian and has to operate at breakneck speed from the very beginning. The plot is literally life or death and there is precious little time to stop and smell the roses, which I appreciated. But the result is that the time we have with these characters feels truncated and left me wanting more. I’m sure that we’ll be getting a lot more of these characters via novels and comics and all the other avenues that Disney have in their arsenal for fans to get their Star Wars fix, but none of it is a suitable replacement for writers, actors and filmmakers all collaborating to bring a performance to life onscreen.

Going in, I was especially worried with how they were going to use Darth Vader in this film after early rumors indicated that we might see Vader in heavy action. It wouldn’t make sense that the very stiff looking Vader of A New Hope would be running around pulling ships out of the sky in action in Rogue One. I was happy to see how they handled Vader in the film. His last scene had me grinning like a fool.

Beyond Vader, it would have been very easy to fill Rogue One with too many nods to the subsequent Original Trilogy films. There are some great references in there, that will have fans excited, but it didn’t feel like they went over the line. This brings me to one of my main issues. Without revealing too much, there is a character in the film that has been brought back by use of CGI and it just doesn’t look right. I’m never that guy who whines about bad CGI, I’m usually pretty forgiving with that stuff, but this is a Star Wars film. Spend whatever you need to spend and take the time to make it look right. Or just don’t do it. As cool as it was that we were seeing this character, the CGI took me right out of it. I’m sure as a still shot the character it looks spot on, but in motion among real actors, it stuck out like a sore thumb. The rendering looked far too smooth and it felt like the dialogue would fall out of sync at any moment. There is another character brought to life with CGI that also bothered me a little, but at least it was brief. Less could have been more in both of these cases, though.

Ultimately, I had a great time with Rogue One. There is something in the film for every Star Wars fan. A credit to the cast and filmmaking team for actually expanding the Star Wars universe in a new and exciting way. I hope that Lucasfilm and Disney take note of what was accomplished with this film and apply what they’ve learned to other upcoming films under the “A Star Wars Story” banner. How cool would it be to have a television arm of Star Wars stories like this? An anthology series with wildly different types of stories that take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away? It’s big galaxy with a big sandbox, let’s get even more talented filmmakers in there and have some fun building things.

I’m sure you have your tickets already, if not get some. I can’t wait to give this one another look, or ten.

We’re so close to the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that I can taste it; in a matter of days we’ll be settling into our seats at the cinema ready to watch the first non-saga Star Wars film, a very special occasion indeed. The release of this first spin-off film will not only be important for us fans but for the creative minds behind Star Wars too, as Rogue One will stand as a sort of judgment point, where reactions will be analyzed and decisions made about where next to take these standalone movies after the release of ‘Han Solo’ in 2018.

In his recent coverage of Rogue One, Anthony Breznican of Entertainment Weekly reported that January will see the Lucasfilm brain-trust gather together, where they’ll map out the future of Star Wars cinema past Episode IX. Breznican finally confirmed that the third spin-off, set for 2020, was the long rumoured ‘Boba Fett’ film. That film has been temporarily put on hold since Josh Trank’s sudden departure last year. This begs the question of What ‘Star Wars Story’ will we eventually see in 2020? Will the Fett film be reignited, or will a great response to an all new cast of characters with Rogue One see Lucasfilm decide on something completely different and unexpected?

With the future of Star Wars cinema beyond Episode IX being a big question at the moment, I decided to take a little dive into what the third spin-off film could be. What do the fans want, as opposed to what is likely to be greenlit and announced next year.

Fan Favorites

Star Wars fans, we’re so demanding.. always wanting for nothing.. Joking aside, I feel like demand is the perfect word to describe certain areas of the fanbases’ hopes and dreams for the third spin-off. Although many of us will be happy with whatever is announced, there is most certainly a fan demand for specific character stories, starting with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yes, Kenobi, he’s most certainly a film people want, and according to Anthony Breznican is high on Lucasfilm’s list awaiting the green light. The idea that Obi-Wan spent a many number of years on Tatooine watching over Luke intrigues people, and I can see why they want that story, Ewan McGregor was great as Kenobi in the prequels and seeing him play Obi at an older age where he’s probably learning great truths about the Force is exciting. If the Kenobi film were to be set in the period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, there’s also a chance we’d see a younger Luke Skywalker and other classic characters return at a point in their life we have yet to see, I can see the interest. One thing that puts me off is this, what more about Obi-Wan Kenobi do we need to know? He’s a character with a lot of exposition thus far and unless Lucasfilm has great plans for him, I’m not so invested in a film revolving around him.

The Old Republic and Origins of the Jedi. These two also keep coming up, there’s a huge amount of love out there for the Old Republic games, although I’ve never cared for them or that era. There is a large portion of the Star Wars fanbase who want to see that era reimagined on screen in the new canon. I think it’s an era that will eventually be explored, I feel that the current sequel trilogy is going to set up some form of backstory in which an Old Republic-Jedi Origin film will be able to explain how the Force became more than just that, how it became something beings embraced, using for good and for evil. I feel that a Jedi-Origin story could certainly tie into that era, hence why I’ve included both in this segment. It’s possible that Lucasfilm would want the origin of the Jedi Knights to be set in an era where the Old Republic exists, in doing so we would gain exposition on both stories, ‘killing two birds with one stone’ so to speak. I’ll be completely frank with you here, I have absolutely zero interest in visiting the Old Republic era and/or the complete beginnings of the Jedi, I don’t feel like it’s an era that necessarily needs to be explored, and to be honest, a time set so many thousands of years prior to where The Phantom Menace began may feel too far departed from what Star Wars is, a certain visual language that may have to abandoned when traveling so far into the past. The Jedi Origin story would be better utilized in pieces, being referenced in the films, not demystifying the whole thing with a film laying it all out. Sometimes less is more. (Jay: I’d imagine a lesson was learned by demystifying Vader in the Prequel Trilogy)

One more popular choice, there is.. Now, who could that be? The little green guy himself, Yoda. Although not voiced as often as the previous mentions above, people really would love a Yoda origin story. When it was first announced back in 2012 that Lucasfilm would be producing spin-off films, the popular three that were rumored were, ‘Han Solo’, ‘Boba Fett’ and ‘Yoda’. We now know we’re getting the ‘Han Solo’ film in 2018, and have recently gained more confirmation on the Fett film being one of the other’s, originally set to be the second until the controversy with Josh Trank benched the film. So could the other long rumored ‘Yoda’ film be the third standalone? Unlikely. The reason I say so is because I don’t think it’s a character Lucasfilm wants to necessarily tell a personal story about (at least not yet), I have no doubt that it’ll be made eventually, but in the first wave of films, doubtful. Yoda is a wildly popular character, and he’s shrouded in mystery so much so we don’t even know the name of his species (maybe Lucasfilm doesn’t either..?). A Yoda origin story could be incredible, not only would his character be exciting to really open up with, it’d be an incredible chance for the filmmakers to push the boundaries and use
every trick in the book to pull off successfully, embracing the oldest filmmaking tricks all the way down to those yet to be explored. I’d say leave it for now, it may be something better left for the future. (Jay: fingers crossed that it’s a romcom between Yoda and Maz Kanata. Imagine that Meet/Cute)

Likely Announcement

With the Lucasfilm brain-trust getting together in January to plot and green light future projects, it’s up in the air as to what will be chosen as the third Anthology film. The answer essentially comes down to the reaction of Rogue One, even though I feel that specific line of thinking is a little safe, that’s
Lucasfilm basically saying that if Rogue One doesn’t receive outstanding reactions they’ll go back to playing it safe, when they should really be going with whatever stories they want to tell, not what we want them to tell. So, what’s likely? Well, we’ve heard that the ‘Boba Fett/Bounty Hunter’ film mentioned previously is still a favorite and they’ve already done quite a bit of work already behind the scenes, but it would certainly undergo some changes with a new director coming on board. The Fett film could also tie into the ‘Han Solo’ film if it’s set around a younger Boba, being a perfect opportunity to tie two origin films together. Although a Fett film isn’t as much a popular choice as say, Obi-Wan, it’s a film I want to see and have always wanted to see. Boba Fett is a badass looking character, his imagery is iconic and yet he’s done nothing but flop on screen, I get that.. his onscreen physical performances ave kinda suck thus far, but it’s time to see the real in-universe reason for his reputation. There’s a story to be told with Fett, whether or not it’s of his younger self and a possible rivalry with young smuggler, Solo, or if they canonized his escape from the Sarlacc pit, there’s story there to be told. Imagine a noir-esque crime-thriller with Fett as the leading man? Yeah, I’d dig it!

What do I want?

What do I want to see? Well, I set that one up for you already and most who know me well know I love Boba Fett, I’m also an absolute sucker for crime-thrillers, so combining the two and having the likes of Kim Jee-Woo (I Saw The Devil) direct, I think that speaks for itself. I’m definitely interested in seeing Lucasfilm experiment with genre-style films for the spin-off’s, I’m less interested in seeing these flicks just explore the lore of Star Wars and more interested in the filmmakers bringing their specific styles to the table, where they can really let loose and spin the visual language of Star Wars in beautiful knots with a more personal stylistic language.

Rogue One is a matter of days away, and this is going to stand as a turning point in Star Wars cinema. It’ll set precedent for what comes next, and I truly hope Star Wars cinema pushes its boundaries, continuing diversity in its casting and stylistically speaking in terms of the visual language used by the future filmmakers.

StarWars.com have officially revealed that Emilia Clarke has joined the cast of the yet untitled, ‘Han Solo’ spin-off film.

Emilia Clarke, who is best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the hit HBO series, Game of Thrones, has landed the female lead role in Phillip Lord and Chris Miller’s Han Solo origin story. The third cast member to be announced, Clarke joins Alden Ehrenreich as young Han Solo, and Donald Glover, who will portray a younger Lando Calrissian – Chewie of course, is set to return.

This untitled ‘Han Solo’ story is starting to come together, and the casting of the accomplished Emilia Clarke definitely impresses me, though – I do have one issue. Previously, Variety reported that three actresses were in the later stages of testing for the female role in the film, Tessa Thompson (Creed), Zoe Kravitz (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Naomi Scott (The Martian) all reportedly tried out, all actresses of minority – yet the white, brunette actress ended up with the part. Let’s hope that these three actresses were testing for a different role altogether. With the events happening around us right now, the casting of the female lead going to an actress of minority would’ve been a powerful and hopeful message.

It’s curious to note that Clarke, along with Daisy Ridley and Felicity Jones are all British. Interesting that the three female leads all hail from across the pond.

The ‘Han Solo’ film is set for release in May of 2018. Written by Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jon Kasdan, with Phillip Lord and Chris Miller sharing the director’s chair.

From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” an all-new epic adventure. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, with Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker. Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel are producing, with John Knoll and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The story is by John Knoll and Gary Whitta, and the screenplay is by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” opens in U.S. theaters on December 16, 2016.

You’ll probably recall that back in the early days of Episode VII Kathleen Kennedy said that they would be taking an old-school approach to the way that they would be making the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy. We knew J.J. Abrams preference to shoot on 35mm over digital, stating at Produced By Conference “I have not yet shot a movie digitally. Film is the thing I am most comfortable with. If film were to go away—and digital is challenging it—then the standard for the highest, best quality would go away.” Then, Rian Johnson confirmed on twitter that he would also be shooting Episode VIII on 35mm and would have shot on 65mm but couldn’t for “logistical reasons.”

@LaRabiaCompany I really wanted to, but for some specific logistical reasons we’re sticking with 35.

Now comes confirmation via PlaylistthatColin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) will shoot Star Wars: Episode IX on the larger, 65mm format. This is fantastic news for film enthusiasts, and shows a real commitment to keeping the incredible format alive, as well as the fact that Kodak’s facility in the United Kingdom has just gained the capabilities to handle the format. Also revealed in the article was the great news that cinematographer, John Schwartzman (Armageddon) will be returning to Colin Trevorrow’s side after the success of Jurassic World.

The news that Trevorrow will be shooting in 65mm is exciting to say the least. It’s a format that has slowly been making its way back from an uncertain future, with filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master), and the vocal Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight) utilizing it recently to bring back that old-school cinema experience. I’m hoping this news means that the format might be embraced by more theaters worldwide so that the films can be seen the way that their filmmakers intended, enabling us to see these films the way they were intended to be seen!

From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, an all-new epic adventure. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

I’m getting really excited for Rogue One, the last US trailer really got me buzzed and I’m enjoying the little bits that these new International variants are providing us. It’s hard to believe we’re barely a month off from another new Star Wars film. This was inconceivable five years ago. I don’t want to ever let this feeling go.

While this production as been mired in controversy over reshoots and internal power struggles, what really matters is what ends up on the screen come December 16th. We could all use a victory against the Empire, don’t you think?

The Last Battle is proof that Star Wars Rebels can be great, and episodes relying on nostalgia can work, when timed right.

by: Joshua Outred – Staff Writer

I’ve not been the biggest supporter of Star Wars: Rebels since the long and drawn out season 2. The second season of Rebels felt like it never really went anywhere, I’d compare it to the intro of a song, where the replay button is being pressed every time it’s about to break. People have said season 2 really honed in on the individual crew members of the Ghost, it never really felt that way for me either, in fact, season 2 seemed to be mission after mission where the crew would be stealing yet another supply of cargo from the Empire, or breaking prisoners valuable to their cause out of imperial incarceration. To cut my negative thoughts on Rebels down to the minimum, season 2 was a massive waste of my time and my feelings for the lead character, Ezra Bridger, couldn’t be lesser. Season 3 however, has gotten off to a strong start, with every episode adding depth to the Ghost crew’s inner turmoils, history and general struggles with who they are and what they’re trying to achieve.

The Last Battle was an episode steeped in nostalgia, though unlike a lot of content nowadays, especially in the case of Rebels season 2, this was a love letter well earned, a step back in time for not only our favourite Clone Wars veteran, Captain Rex, but for us, the fans who have been longing for closure ever since The Clone Wars’ abrupt ending a couple of years ago.

The episode begins as the crew of the Ghost arrives on the battle scarred planet of Agamar, with Kanan, Ezra, Rex, Zeb and Chopper on a salvage mission to retrieve weapons left over on a downed Separatist war ship. Like any curious teenager, Ezra has questions regarding the Clone War, Rex briefs him on the dangers of the droid army, and when Ezra makes a crack at the look of an old Battle Droid head, Rex shuts him down, stating that they killed a lot of his friends and aren’t to be underestimated. This episode doubles as a history lesson for not only Ezra, but for the younger generation of Star Wars: Rebels fans who may not have had the chance to see the The Clone Wars yet.

Rex, Zeb, our two Jedi and Chopper advance into the hangar of the downed vessel, after scouting and finding no apparent danger, they advance, only to be caught in an old Separatist ray shield. With our heroes trapped, Battle Droids approach and capture them, taking them into custody. When the three awake, Rex becomes overcome with anxiety at the site of an old Tactical Separatist Droid, Kalani. Kalani is best known for his appearance in the Onderon arc of The Clone Wars. Rex shows signs of post traumatic stress, evident when faced with an old enemy, Kanan earlier telling Ezra that Rex’s scars run deep, some of which you cannot see helps the viewer understand Rex’s internal struggle with the ghosts of his past.

Kalani goes on to reveal his long awaited plan for this veteran of the Republic and his allies. Keeping Zeb as a hostage, he sets his game in motion, allowing Rex, Ezra and Kanan a chance at rescuing the Lasat, and ending the Clone Wars for good. In the midst of all the fun and games, Chopper has conveniently found an old shuttle, sending a distress signal for Hera aboard the Ghost, hoping for yet another rescue. Unfortunately for them, the signal was intercepted by Governor Price aboard her Star Destroyer, she immediately sends for an imperial force to be dispatched to Agamar in order to catch the fugitive Rebels.

With Kalani’s game in full swing, Rex and the Jedi begin slicing their way through the droid forces, like the good old days. Rex uses his experience to get through the battle, not without trouble though, as Ezra again proves to be an irritating nuisance, Rex shuts him down and gives him the talking to he so greatly needed, in his book, experience outranks everything!

After finally breaking back into the bridge, our heroes confront Kalani, stating that they’ve won, and it’s time to release their friend. It’s at this point that the story really all comes together, with these old enemies standing face to face once again and both Rex and Kalani still adamant that they were both on the right side, Ezra states that both the Republic and Separatist forces were victims, victims of the real victor, the Empire. When both sides of the coin get their realisation (the only moment I’ve ever enjoyed Ezra’s contribution) the Empire arrives, armed with walkers and ground troops. A mutual understanding is met by the former enemies, Rex and Kalani, who use their knowledge (programming) and experience to outwit the cumbersome forces of the Empire, escaping Agamar and in so, finally ending The Clone War, though I’d say The Clone War ended a long time ago, this unlikely team of Battle Droids, Clone and Jedi finally united against a common enemy, gains a clarity and inner peace. It settles the score, putting an end to the conflict that they had all been so masterfully puppeteered to participate in.

The Last Battle was a thoroughly enjoyable episode, full to the brim with great visuals such as B1 Battle Droids greeting imperial stormtroopers, and emotional storylines like Rex’s and even Kalani’s. This was an episode that served as the final confrontation between old foes, finally joining sides to fight the galaxy’s common enemy, and giving clarity to characters like Captain Rex who so desperately needed it. Coming a couple of years after The Clone Wars and not a minute too early, The Last Battle is proof that Star Wars: Rebels can be great, and episodes relying on nostalgia can work, when timed right.

This morning, Good Morning America dropped the final theatrical trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and boy is it great!

I couldn’t ask for much more, incredible establishing shots, meaty dialogue and super intense action. We get a much better grasp of the story, and see that this is most definitely Jyn Erso’s (Felicity Jones) story.

This Rogue One trailer most importantly feels like Star Wars through and through, whilst adding a fresh touch that is most welcome. I can tell you now, seeing Vader stride with intense purpose out of the smoke gave me palpitations! With everything you love about Star Wars back, and plenty of newness along with it, Rogue One looks set to blow our minds, and take us to places we could have only previously dreamed of going in the Star Wars universe!

Check out the final trailer and gallery below. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is released on the 16th December this year. Not long now folks!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as most of you probably already know (although it’s becoming apparent that Disney would prefer more people knew at this stage), is the first in a series of standalone Star Wars films set away from the main Skywalker saga, it will tell the story of how a rag-tag band of Rebels stole the plans to the Empire’s first Death Star. The cast and crew of the film have referred to Rogue One as a gritty, on-the-ground war movie, something many Star Wars fans, myself included, have been waiting for.

However, it’s no secret that since the film was first announced, I haven’t exactly been its biggest supporter. As a huge Star Wars guy, this lack of enthusiasm surprised even me. How could I not be excited for this film? It’s Star Wars, naturally I expected to be ecstatic about the announcement of this film, and I just wasn’t.

Now, I’ve come to realize that initial disappointment came down to one main reason, at the time we were all anticipating the release of The Force Awakens (and personally I was hyper-focused on that film), I wanted to embrace the special time leading up to the seventh edition in the Star Wars saga, a film so many of us had waited years for. Rogue One was announced in the midst of all that excitement and anticipation and I just truly couldn’t focus on it, or be excited for it.

The Force Awakens was such a highly anticipated film, most Star Wars fans never thought we’d ever see a sequel to Return of the Jedi, so when its announcement finally came I think I speak for everyone when I say it was memorable. I couldn’t believe we were finally going to see Luke, Han and Leia on the silver screen again. What was the story? Were Han and Leia still a couple? So many questions, so few answers, with infinite possibilities. It made for an exciting time. The thought of seeing another story with those characters made me (and many other fans) incredibly emotional. Frankly it still does.

Rogue One bought about a dilemma for me, the story was said to focus on the stolen Death Star plans that lead directly into the original entry into the Star Wars universe, A New Hope. This was a story that as a child I played out with my action figures on my bedroom floor – yet I was not excited in the slightest. I decided that I needed more time to soak it all in. First of all, I needed to see The Force Awakens and take in all that it had to offer, maybe then I’d begin the feverish anticipation that others already felt about it?

January came around, after seeing Episode VII a number of times I began to turn my attention timidly to December, still not quite sure of what to expect. Was I really ready to leave Luke and Leia again after only just being reacquainted with my childhood heroes?

April arrived and so did the first teaser for Rogue One, at last we were getting a glimpse at this so called “war movie”. The teaser worked on a number of levels for me; however, I still wasn’t completely sold. I still wonder whether or not I was over my Force Awakens hangover at this point, we’d only just been introduced to brand new characters like Rey and Finn, so the thought of having to fall in love with a whole group of completely unfamiliar characters just a year later worried me. I really wanted to care about this film but something just wasn’t clicking into place.

As we got further away from The Force Awakens and closer to Rogue One I started to wonder whether or not that I was ever going to feel ready for this departure from the saga films. The change, even though we were still in a galaxy far, far away, made me nervous. It wasn’t until the home release of Episode VII that my feelings started to sway in a different direction. After countless viewings of The Force Awakens, and the release of the first full trailer for Rogue One, something switched in me, I was ready; the change no longer frightened me like it had for so long.

After being thrust back into Star Wars in such a tonally and visually familiar way with The Force Awakens we were all on a nostalgic high, it seemed that everything we originally loved was back, and it was beautiful, however, I started to crave the newness that the spin-off’s had to offer. I was ready to jump into a new story with new characters in a somewhat unfamiliar world. The Force Awakens was very much a reintroduction to Star Wars and now I was beginning to feel like fresh locations and stories set in this familiar home were necessary for not just me, but the longevity of Star Wars itself.

As different as Rogue One will evidently be to what has come before it, Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla) has clearly tried to keep this film feeling like Star Wars. Introducing new ships like the Rebel’s U-Wing and the Imperial’s TIE Striker, along with the new Death Trooper (pictured above), the aesthetic of Rogue One doesn’t sway from what we all know and love. The visually familiar aspect is key to keeping this film a Star Wars film, Gareth Edwards was even quoted in a recent interview with Empire Magazine as saying; “ we found if you go slightly to the left, it’s not Star Wars, it’s just some other sci-fi movie. But go too far the other way and it just feels like you’re doing a karaoke number of what George has already done.”I really appreciate his terminology here, he’s coming at it from the perspective that George Lucas is no longer at the helm of these films, and although it’s still the world he created, it’s now being shepherded forward by a new generation of filmmakers, who most importantly, have their own methods of telling a story from the page to the screen.

It’s incredibly important to me that the new era of Star Wars films remain faithful to George’s vision and the world building he so brilliantly crafted, however, for these films to have the longevity and shelf life that the other Star Wars movies have so rightfully had, thresholds have to be crossed. It’s not just about staying safe and trying to stay as visually close to what George created, it’s about telling a story, an original story that reflects the creativity of the director at the helm of the film, to respect what’s come before but progress Star Wars storytelling forward for new generations, for years to come.

It’s by this reasoning that my anticipation level for Rogue One went from zero to a hundred in quite a short space of time. Watching The Force Awakens over and over I just found myself wanting the unknown, the unfamiliar, to go forward in this vast canvas of potential storytelling and find new iconic characters and imagery to love and behold.

Although Rogue One is set in a an era very near and dear to us, the creatives behind it have clearly tried their utmost to push the boundaries and present to us a film that will give us the comfort of our favorite living room chair, whilst adding some new décor to the house. It’s a truly incredible time to be a Star Wars fan, I feel like now is the time to step into the unknown and embrace all that the future films have to offer.

Now that we’re are 9 months post The Force Awakens’ release and on the cusp of this first spin-off film, I think I can finally say with confidence- I’m ready!

While it doesn’t pack the emotional punch of the behind the scenes reel that we were given for The Force Awakens, (that one made me tear up) this one is still pretty great. We see a lot of new looks at action, characters and creatures we’re not totally familiar with which is always welcome as well as some familiar locales and other stuff.

Fans all know the story, originally the final chapter of the Star Wars trilogy went by the title Revenge of the Jedi until George Lucas decided that revenge would not be the way of a Jedi. His decision was late in the game, as crew gear, posters, trailers and merchandise bearing the more aggressive title were produced and in some cases sent out before being recalled for the more Jedi-appropriate title.

The Academy has unearthed what might be the first example of a trailer bearing the original Revenge title, unseen publicly since UK audiences laid eyes on it in May of 1982 attached to a double feature of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Perhaps stranger than the original title is the advertised UK release date of Christmas 1983, the film was ultimately released in the UK on June 2, 1983. American audiences wouldn’t get their peek of Revenge of the Jedi until August of that year.

The trailer itself is frankly not very impressive, It’s very short and only provides some quick glimpses of the characters via still images. But make no mistake, there’s no question that this is an important piece of film history.

Since we’re strolling down memory lane, check out these other Revenge of the Jedi trailers below if you haven’t given them a look:

Watch the original teaser trailer for Revenge of the Jedi, which appeared in theaters before Star Wars creator George Lucas changed the name of the film to Return of the Jedi. This trailer features the completed Revenge of the Jedi logo, shows Luke wielding a blue lightsaber (in the final film, his Jedi weapon would have a green blade), and features a quick shot of Obi-Wan Kenobi before “spirit” effects were added.

Typically, I don’t run Star Wars information that I haven’t vetted through two sources, but since there have been rumbles elsewhere about this already and it’s not spoilery I thought I’d share a potentially cool piece of info that was floated my way recently. A source tells me that Frank Oz has been in to record new audio as Yoda for Rian Johnson’s currently in productionStar Wars: Episode VIIIin England. The source also says that (to their knowledge) Oz is there only to lend his voice and is not on hand for anything visual.

Anything could change, though. I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to see Yoda in the flesh again, (Preferably via an OZ operated puppet). It seems this might not be completely out of the question as our friend Jason atMaking Star Warsshared a rumor that there were “Ahch-To recreations made to accommodate a puppet,” last month when they also reported that they had heard that Oz was headed to theEpisode VIIIset.

This wouldn’t be Oz’s first brush with the Sequel Trilogy. You might recall that Anthony Breznican atEntertainment Weeklyreported that Oz was called in for voice work along with Ewan McGregor, by J.J. Abrams forThe Force Awakensfor Rey’s force vision.While McGregor’s audio was ultimately used in the final cut, Oz’s new Yoda vocals were not. Instead, Abrams opted to use vintage Yoda audio from his previous work in the Star Wars universe. The resulting scene was one of the most talked about moments ofThe Force Awakensthanks to its cryptic mashup of familiar visuals from the Original Trilogy as well as cryptic looks at what’s happened in the years (presumably) sinceReturn of the Jedi.Most impressive to the scene was a repurposed bit of vintage Alec Guinness dialogue allowing his presence to be felt sixteen years after his death.

I’m told that a Yoda puppet had even been built forThe Force Awakensin the event that they opted to use him onscreen and that special care had gone into making sure he looked right, just as they had done with Chewbacca and Admiral Ackbar. It’s not clear if this Yoda had actually gone in front of cameras or if he’d just been constructed in the event that they decided to use him.

I’d prefer to see Yoda pop his crazy green head up in the next installment, but I’d be pleased just hearing Frank Oz’s Yoda giving Luke or Rey words of wisdom from the ether in Episode VIII.

What do you think? Does Yoda have a part to play in the Sequel Trilogy in your opinion?

Last night John Williams, the greatest living composer (and the most Oscar nominated living person), took the stage in front of a sold out crowd to conduct the Boston Pops in a very special selection of Star Wars music. Williams is no stranger to the Boston Pops having served as the orchestra’s principal conductor from 1980-1993. Over the course of ninety minutes, the maestro conducted a varied selection of cuts from the Original Star Wars Trilogy as well as The Force Awakens, culminating with three encores, Yoda’s Theme, The Imperial March and finally a cut from E.T.

In between the music the soft spoken Williams addressed the enthusiastic audience, playfully recalling writing his Luke and Leia piece as a love theme before knowing any better. It was within one of these breaks in the performance that Williams discussed being asked by Kathleen Kennedy to score Rian Johnson’s currently in production, Episode VIII. Williams confided that he wasn’t sure he was up to it, but left the door open by saying that he doesn’t want anyone else to write music for Rey because he’d be jealous.

Speak of Rey, Williams also briefly spoke about her father. No, he doesn’t know who Rey’s absentee pop is, but he has an opinion, “I never asked J.J. Abrams who Rey’s father is, but I think it’s Luke Skywalker. Your guess is as good as mine, though.”

It would be crushing to imagine Williams not completing the next two films in the Sequel Trilogy, as he is as important a character to the Star Wars universe as Luke, Leia, Chewie or Han. I don’t think that it would be an understatement to say that new Star Wars films would not be the same without him. He’s slowed his output a bit over the years but I don’t want to imagine a world with no new John Williams scores. It’s sometimes tough to remember that he’s 84 years old since he’s still capable of working at such a high level.

I’m sure I’m not at all alone in holding out the hope that he has enough in the tank for a couple more trips to a galaxy far, far away…

One of the really fun things in Star Wars: The Force Awakens was finding all the cameos and then reading about the ones that were missed during the first couple of viewings (because who didn’t see it more than once?).

Making Star Wars revealed the cheeky way that Rian Johnson has decided to use Hardy in next years installment in the Star Wars Saga

It was amusing when MakingStarWars found out about Tom Hardy’s involvement it sounds like just the kind of fun part that Star Wars is starting to get comfortable doing.

This is a bit of a SPOILER, so I’ll give the usual warning space…

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Still here? Good, because this is pretty funny.

So Tom Hardy plays a First Order Stormtrooper that recognizes Finn (or FN-2187 as he knows him from their Stormtrooper academy days) while the latter is on a secret mission. Hardy walks up and slaps Finn on the ass and gives him kudos on his secret mission as a Resistance infiltrator. Finn, thinking he just got caught, is free to go about his business.

This sounds like a fun little scene, much in the vein of the Daniel Craig scene where he played the Stormtrooper who lets Rey go. It could be played for maximum laughs or have just the right amount of tension to make us think Finn is about to get blasted. Either way I’m kinda psyched for this.

It also raises a good question – namely why does the First Order think Finn is an infiltrator? Was it misinformation generated by Snoke and his cronies to stop more defections to the Resistance?

Making Star Wars has been right more often than not, but for now I think we’ll file this under RUMOR…but what a fun rumor it is.

After months of rumors about who might land the coveted role of Han Solo in Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s upcoming Star Wars spinoff film, it looks like we finally have an answer.

According to Page Six, Hail Caesar’s Alden Ehrenreich has won the coveted role that nearly every young actor seemed to be vying for including Jack Reynor, Miles Teller, Taron Egerton, Ansel Elgort and Scott Eastwood.

I had the opportunity to ask Everybody Wants Some lead Blake Jenner about landing on the list when I spoke to him a couple months back and the conversation went as follows:

Blake Jenner: (laughs) NDA, man. I can’t really talk about that. I did make sweet love to a Wookie, though.

IR: To get in character?

BJ: Oh, I can’t talk about that (laughs)

I liked Ehrenreich quite a bit in Hail, Caesar (as well as Francis Ford Coppola’s Tetro)but his looks strike me as more of a young Marlon Brando than young Harrison Ford, he’s far from a terrible choice. He has a good sense of comedic timing, but it remains to be seen if he has the chops to be the charming rogue that Harrison Ford was.

Chris Miller teased the upcoming film yesterday with the following tweet.

For many people out there Star Wars: The Force Awakens was their first chance to peer back to a long, long time ago and visit a galaxy far, far away. But it could have been worse – they could have been the generation that got stuck with the Prequel Trilogy.

Still, everyone should get to experience the original three Star Wars films on the big screen at some time. Many had the chance in mega marathons being held by some theaters leading up to The Force Awakens. But if you weren’t one of the lucky ones to check the first trilogy out then life is giving you a second chance.

The Alamo Drafthouse has announced that they’ll be doing showings of the first three Star Wars films (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi) as part of a traveling roadshow. Twenty venues across the United States will show the films this upcoming August.

Unfortunately these showings won’t be the untouched originals but the 1997 special editions. Still it could be worse – you could not even get to see them. (Seriously, let’s get the untouched versions back out there!)

Some showings will be mega marathons, some will be stretched out over three days and some will even take place outside under the stars themselves. Many screenings will have trivia contests, props on display and special videos to help make this a special undertaking.

Tickets go on sale May 4 (May the Fourth, HAHA!) on ReturnOfTheTrilogy.com. Henri Mazza, Alamo’s VP of Special Events had the following to say about the upcoming showings:

It’s always been a dream to show the original Star Wars trilogy again – somehow, someway. Seeing the original trilogy on the big screen for the first time is a real life-altering event and just a supreme amount of fun. When the films became available to book for screenings like these, we jumped at the chance to do something big.

These are the dates that have been announced so far. Make sure to check back at ReturnOfTheTrilogy.com for further updates and ticket availability:

August 6 – San Francisco, CA / The Warfield

August 6 – Kansas City, MO / The Midland Theatre

August 6 – Washington, D.C. / Warner Theatre

August 6 – Los Angeles, CA / The Theatre at the Ace Hotel

August 6 – New York, NY / The Town Hall

August 6 – Miami, FL / Olympia Theatre

August 6 – San Antonio, TX Majestic Theatre

August 7 – New York, NY / Kings Theatre

August 7 – Dallas, TX / Majestic Theatre

August 11 – Austin, TX / The Long Center for the Performing Arts (Ep. 4-A New Hope)

That was all the internet could say after seeing the Rogue One trailer for this December’s first Star Wars Spinoff film. Everyone was desperate for an answer to a question that I don’t think should be answered at all – the question of the parentage of Rey, the orphan from the planet Jakku who has an uncanny knack of using the Force introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

But to everyone who NEEDS that type of closure to make themselves feel good – well we might have some bad news for you.

At the MTV Movie Awards, Daisy Ridley (the actress who portrays Rey) was asked about what she thinks regarding all this “Jyn Erso is Rey’s mom” speculation running rampant:

I’m not being funny, you guys, but just because she’s white and got brown hair … it doesn’t mean she’s my mom.

I think the amazing thing about [The Force Awakens] is that Finn and Rey don’t come from anywhere, and they find a place. So to me, it’s funny that people think it’s so important, because I don’t really think it is.

Could Ridley be hinting at the main Star Wars films branching outside of the usual Skywalker family tree and following the story of another space-faring family lineage in future films?

We might have to wait until the next two films of the proper trilogy come out so that means we might be waiting until sometime in 2019 (which in this day and age of instant gratification is akin to torture). But I’m all for it. Good things are worth waiting for – and a story like this should be treated with the respect it deserves.

Wow, here it is, the first trailer to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Take a look!

And just like that we now have our first real look at what’s in store for us with the first Star Wars spinoff film. I’d seen a few things previously, (that I’ve unfortunately been unable to report on) that had me really believing in this film. To be honest, I was sold when I’d first heard the ingenious idea to have a film centered around the theft of the Death Star plans that was only referenced in Episode IV, giving a new twist to the whole story that we already know so well.

Lucasfilm’s Rogue One, which takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, tells the story of unlikely heroes who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star.